Dumping hazardous waste of developed countries like the US signifies “shifting their own waste burdens to countries” like the Philippines.

By Aaron Ernest Cruz

MANILA – Together with Task Force End E-waste Imports, the Makabayan bloc urged the House of Representative on June 29 to investigate the reported illegal dumping of United States’ (US) electronic waste (e-waste) to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Through House Resolution (HR) No. 1164, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co and Allianced Concerned Teachers (ACT Teachers) Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio cited Basel Action Network (BAN)’s exposé that there were 234 shipments of e-waste and one plastic waste from the US that entered the Philippines.

Read:Watchdog exposes illegal dumping of US e-waste in the Philippines

According to a study, e-waste contains toxic substances like lead, mercury, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chromium, polychlorinated bipenyls (PCBs), beryllium, asbestos, and hazardous battery chemicals that threaten the people’s health and the environment.

HR 1164 stated that the incident undermines not just environment protection but also sovereignty as the Philippines is a state party to the Basel Convention.

According to the convention, a party member shall not receive or export hazardous waste from a non-state party like the US.

BAN Toxics Advocacy Officer Thony Dizon, on behalf of End E-waste Imports, stressed that dumping hazardous waste of developed countries like the US signifies “shifting their own waste burdens to countries” like the Philippines.

“The illegal shipment of e-waste or e-scrap raises grave concerns over the country’s ability to enforce environmental laws, safeguard public health, and uphold its international obligations against the illegal transboundary movement of hazardous waste,” Dizon said.

The resolution cited laws like the Republic Act (RA) No. 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990) that should be fully implemented to protect the country.

“The entry of hazardous waste through the Subic Bay Freeport Zone without proper documentation, environmental screening, or regulatory oversight by national authorities represents a breach of national sovereignty and environmental governance,” the resolution stated.

End E-waste Imports previously criticized the ruling of Manila Regional Trial Court that Subic Bay Freeport Zone is a separate area and that the Bureau of Customs cannot make an inquiry. “Even as a transit area, the Subic Bay Freeport is covered by the Basel Convention by virtue of it being under the jurisdiction of the Philippines,” Dizon said.?

Citing past sources of waste shipment like Japan in 1999 and South Korea in 2020, the resolution stated that the pattern reveals failure to implement laws to avoid making the Philippines a dumping ground.

BAN also alerted neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia on illegal shipments of US e-waste although they are already taking steps to address it.

“We have already been turned into a military playground and firing range by the US during the Balikatan Exercises and Tomahawk Missile Launching. Now, they will turn us into a garbage dump, a dumping ground for their e-waste and plastic,” Co said.

Aside from the illegal dumping of e-waste, the resolution also stated the concerns over the Philippines as part of Pax Silica initiative under the United States containing “development, processing and recycling of critical minerals.” They said that this agreement shows the priority of the government for foreign arrangement rather than to serve its people, protect its national sovereignty and uphold environmental justice.

“No one should profit from toxic waste while our communities and our environment are left to suffer the consequences,” Dizon said.? (AMU, DAA)

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